an opinionated sports blog

August 11, 2010

Darrelle Revis and the New York all-star Jets need to end this contract argument and end it very soon. This Super Bowl contender is on the verge of — and is supposedly fine with — starting this coming season without the superstar cornerback.

The biggest problem between the two sides is that one is making an unrealistic demand while the other is handcuffed by another franchise’s bad decision.

Revis wants to be paid like the best cornerback in all of football — which he is. The problem there is that Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders went ahead last year and gave Nnamdi Asomugha a three-year, $45.3 million US deal last off-season. Asomugha is a stellar DB on a poor team — he’s among the top five in the league for certain — but that sort of money should be reserved for franchise QBs, not cover corners.

I can see where Revis is coming from: A star of his calibre is certainly worth more than $1 million this season in the world of non-guaranteed NFL contracts. But I can see where the Jets are coming from, too. They obviously want to give Revis an extension and some guaranteed dough, but the two sides can’t find a compromise. Also, Revis still has three seasons left on his current contract. Shouldn’t he be forced to honour that deal? His signature is at the bottom of it.

The looming lockout is probably playing a factor in this showdown too. Who knows what the new collective bargaining agreement will bring and what the future of this sport’s salary system will look like. It’s sad that this black cloud hovers over everything, but that’s the new reality in the NFL.